Transitional Kindergarten
- Registration for the 2020-2021 ETK program school year is now closed.
- Registration for the 2021-2022 ETK program school year is now closed.
- Registration for the 2022-2023 ETK program will open in January, 2022 and will close on February 11, 2022.
Transitional Kindergarten (TK)
The Transitional Kindergarten (TK) program is the first year of a two-year kindergarten program. It uses a modified Kindergarten curriculum that is age- and developmentally-appropriate. Pursuant to law, (EC 48000[c]), a child is eligible for Transitional Kindergarten only if a child will have his or her fifth birthday on or after September 2 through December 2 of the school year in which they wish to be enrolled. PAUSD does not allow for early-age entry into the TK program.
The TK program is a half-day program held in the morning when schools are operating with a 100% in-person learning model. Due to COVID, the TK schedule for the current 2020-2021 school year may vary; for more information, visit the PAUSD COVID web pages.
PAUSD has TK classrooms at three elementary schools: Duveneck, Barron Park, and Palo Verde. PAUSD will place TK students in the school that is in the same cluster as the student's neighborhood elementary school (if space is available); for a full explanation of "neighborhood school" and "cluster", please visit the PAUSD School Placement & Transfers web page. TK students will be enrolled for Kindergarten in the neighborhood elementary school.
Expanded Transitional Kindergarten (ETK)
The goal of Expanded Transitional Kindergarten (ETK) is to provide the Transitional Kindergarten experience to underrepresented/socioeconomically disadvantaged children. ETK is designed for students who turn 5 years old after December 2, but before the last day, of the school year in which they wish to be enrolled. For the 2021-2022 school year, this includes children that were born between December 3, 2016 and June 2, 2017. Registrations submitted to the PAUSD Registration Services office (25 Churchill Ave) will be reviewed for qualification under any one of the following criteria:
- Students whose parents have not received a high school diploma
- Students who are, or will be, eligible for the Free or Reduced-Priced Meal (FRPM) Program (also known as the National School Lunch Program)
- Students who are migrant, homeless, or foster youth
Effects of early kindergarten admittance
To enroll your child in the Expanded Transitional Kindergarten program, please review the Advantages and Disadvantages of Early Kindergarten Admittance below, and then follow the process outlined on the New Student Enrollment page. Enrollment will be based upon a space-available basis.
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Adapted from tkcalifornia.org, cde.ca.gov, air.org, edsource.org, and carolinaparent.com. PAUSD Elementary Education – March 2019